Whumptober 2019- Human Shield
by Frankie McStein
Summary: Magnum's heart sank at the sight that met his eyes.


Magnum ducked again as bullets tore through the window above him, sending shards of glass raining down over him. He felt them slicing into his arms as he covered his head, tiny pinpricks of pain that he knew were going to sting when he showered later.

Like so many of his cases, this had started out seeming so easy. Mrs. Archibald DuPont thought her husband was cheating on her and wanted proof to take to a lawyer so she could get half of everything in the divorce. Magnum had been so sure it would be wrapped up within a day or two and land him a nice payday. Instead, after five days of increasingly little sleep, he'd ended up here; a dead-end alley with a heavily armed Mr. DuPont standing in the entrance and pointing a very big gun in Magnum's direction. The same gun he had used to murder his wife.

Magnum had taken cover behind DuPont's car after coming off worst in a fist fight and was now well and truly stuck. There was no decent cover anywhere else in the alley, DuPont didn't seem to be running out of ammo any time soon, and Magnum's own clip was disturbingly light.

The only saving grace was that Higgins was somewhere close by too. Magnum was sincerely hoping she was able to get a bead on Dupont because he wasn't having any luck. He risked peeking over the top of the car, and another four or five bullets slammed into the wall behind him. He felt grit from the damaged bricks settling in his left eye and had to fight not to rub at it; he needed to be alert and ready to move as soon as he got the opportunity, and he wouldn't be if he was fidgeting like a child.

"Come on out, Mr. Private Eye!" DuPont bellowed.

"I prefer Private Investigator," Magnum called back, not feeling too inclined to move. Another handful of bullets came his way, two of them thumping into the car. Magnum couldn't help the instinctive flinch.

"C'mon, Higgins," he muttered under his breath. "What's taking you so long?"

Almost as if someone was listening, the bullets stopped as he spoke. He stayed crouched down, wanting to make sure DuPont really had been distracted. He heard a yell and started to stand, only to see DuPont throwing a flashbang his way. He ducked, pressing his eyes against his knees and covering his ears, hoping to mitigate the effects. DuPont couldn't get away, not after committing murder just to avoid an alimony agreement.

The flasbang went off a few yards away, and Magnum couldn't help but give a gasp. Even with his protective stance, the ringing in his ears made him dizzy and the flashing lights in his eyes left him off balance.

It took longer than he would have liked to recover his balance enough to slowly stand and peer over the car's roof. When he saw DuPont was now holding a dazed-looking Higgins in front of him, one arm wrapped firmly around her throat, the other still waving the semi-automatic, Magnum's stomach sank. There was blood trickling slowly down her face; Magnum thought DuPont must have caught her with the butt of his gun. As he looked, Magnum noticed she was holding her left arm at an odd angle, her shoulder seeming lower than it should have been, and realized it was probably dislocated.

He jumped to his feet, aiming at DuPont, but he was crouching slightly so his entire body was hidden behind Higgins. There was no clear shot.

"I think I'll leave now," DuPont called, taking a step back, dragging Higgins with him.

"You know I can't let you go, DuPont," Magnum yelled back. He stepped out from behind the car, his gun never wavering even though, technically, he was aiming at Higgins. "You're not walking away from this."

"Oh, I think I am." DuPont's voice was smug, like he thought he had already won.

Magnum could see Higgins was trying to loosen his hold on her, but then she gave a quiet sort of cry and DuPont smirked.

"I'd hate to hurt her. Again. So, let me go, and I'll let her go."

"Magnum, don't!" Higgins yelled suddenly. "Don't let him get away!" She winced as DuPont jerked his arm up, forcing her up onto her toes just to be able to breathe.

He hissed something in her ear and jerked his arm, shaking her shoulder. Magnum saw the way her chest hitched as a cry of pain tried to slip out, the way she clenched her jaw to stop it, and the protectiveness he felt toward all his friends started yelling at him to help her.

"You're a murderer, DuPont. There's no way you get away." Magnum was moving to the side. He didn't have much hope of getting a shot, but he had some vague idea of keeping DuPont distracted until the police could show up. Assuming anyone had called them. And he was really, really hoping Higgins had exercised her usual good judgment and dialed nine-one-one before rushing to the alley in an attempt to save him.

"All I need to do is take a few more steps, and I'm a free man. And your little friend here will see to it I stay that way. No one wants to be the guy who killed an innocent woman. Right?" And he took another step back, Higgins stumbling slightly as she was pulled backward.

"Magnum, do it." Her voice was quiet and calm and for a second Magnum couldn't for the life of him figure out what she meant.

She gave him a pointed look, eyes flicking to his gun before moving back up, and it clicked.

"Not a chance." He was shaking his head as he spoke. He'd seen it in films sure, the good guy shooting through the hostage to hit the bad guy. But in real life it was a terrible, awful idea.

"Magnum…" She was cut off by DuPont jerking his arm again.

"Stop talking!" He shifted his gun, clearly planning on shooting Magnum before taking off with Higgins, and Magnum knew he only had time to either shoot or duck.

"Thomas." His first name coming from her snapped Magnum's attention back to Higgins. "Do it." It was an order. And, like a good soldier, he obeyed.

The shot rang out, the sound bouncing off the walls of the alley. He thought Higgins gasped, but any noise she made was lost as DuPont gave a squeal of pain. Then he and Higgins both fell. Magnum wasn't sure if Higgins had fallen on her own or if DuPont had pulled her, and he sprinted over to the two of them.

"Higgins? Higgins!" He dropped to his knees and reached for her but she was already moving, right hand coming up to press against her side.

"Magnum?" She was panting slightly and her eyes were screwed tightly shut.

In the distance, he could hear sirens, far off but getting closer, and he put a hand on her uninjured shoulder.

"We're good," he assured her, glancing over to DuPont. The bullet that had torn through the flesh- oh he hoped it was only flesh and nothing vital- of Higgins' side had buried itself in DuPont's stomach, and he was only just conscious. Magnum looked back to Higgins to see her forcing her eyes open, and he gave her a smile.

"This hurts so much more than I remember," she complained, sucking in a breath through clenched teeth.

"You know, you never did explain to me why you lied about getting shot before." He smirked slightly at the look of exasperation she threw him. If she had the energy to be annoyed with him, then she was going to be just fine.


End file.
